Interview with Ashley Cox - Shawnee Heights High School Class of 2027 - Topeka's Best Senior Portraits

Ashley’s senior session was such a fun one! I had the opportunity to photograph her for quite a while, and throughout the entire session, she was nothing but sweet, friendly, and full of smiles. Ashley has so many interests, especially band and track and field, so starting her session at her school was the perfect way to capture a little bit of what makes her who she is. It was a warm day, but Ashley never let that slow her down. She kept smiling, laughing, and bringing her great personality to every photo.

From there, we headed to Ted Ensley Gardens before finishing up at Gage Park. Each location gave us something completely different, which made for a really balanced and beautiful senior session. Ashley is outgoing, fun, and just a genuinely wonderful person to be around, and I absolutely love the images we were able to capture of her. More than anything, I love that we were able to create some incredible photographs while making memories that Ashley can look back on for years to come. It was a perfect session from beginning to end!

T.H. Peterson: What are your plans after high school?
Ashley: I am planning to go to the 18 to 21 program at SHHS, and I am looking at colleges, including Washburn University, where I would like to be a part of the marching band and learn how to become a better actor or band teacher.

T.H. P.: What is your dream job?
Ashley: For my dream job, I would love to become a Disney actor. I feel like I was pretty much born to be on stage because I have always been a dancer, and I am also involved in band, choir, and musicals. I feel free when I am on stage performing. I have multiple personalities, so it is easy for me to change my expressions, and I am super funny when I am performing. I also don't care what people think of me, so I think I would be good at acting. I am taking acting classes in high school to help me work toward that dream.

T.H. P.: What is something you liked about your session with us?
Ashley: Climbing on the tree was one of my favorite parts because that was my first time ever being in a tree. Just taking pictures with you guys was so much fun, especially all of the laughing. I also loved taking pictures of me throwing my shot put and showing my multiple personalities to all of my friends. It was a great experience and gave me memories that I can look back on in the future.

T.H. P.: What kind of movies do you like?
Ashley: That is a hard answer because I have so many favorite movies, but I can give you a couple of my favorites. My favorite Disney movies are the Zombies and Descendants movies, and I also love The Lion King. I like both of the Dolphin Tale movies, Titanic, The Flash, and Spider-Man. I also love the TV show Beyblade X and the anime Black Clover. I have a lot more that I like, but that's the main stuff.

T.H. P.: What is your favorite thing your mom cooks?
Ashley: My mom makes a lot of good food. A couple of my favorites are cheeseburgers with French fries, steaks, Philly cheesesteaks, burritos, and cheesy mac. My mom is so good at cooking all of my favorite foods.

T.H. P.: What is your favorite song you guys play in marching band?
Ashley: My favorite marching band song is our show this year, which is called "Infectious." It's like a disease going around the band, and somebody gets to sing in the show. My favorite pep band song is "Avengers." It's a super heroic song.

T.H. P.: What is your favorite thing about being in track and field?
Ashley: My favorite thing about being in track and field is making friends. It makes track more fun when you have friends to support you at the meets. Track also helps me push myself to my limits and motivates me to do better at every meet. My goal in track is to get varsity, but if I know I am giving it my all, then I am happy with that.

My friends can also throw shot put and discus better than me, and that helps me compete and push myself to catch up and keep up with them. I will always remember all of the memories I have made in track. If I can, I will definitely try to participate in track in college. I will also never forget all of my coaches who have helped me along the way.

T.H. P.: Do you collect anything?
Ashley: I love to collect Pokémon cards. I also collect band and track pictures, as well as pictures with my friends.

T.H. P.: Who is your favorite singer or band?
Ashley: My favorite band is SHHS because that will always be my band and my school. I support them at every football game, and I love seeing my friends who haven't graduated yet and all of the band teachers. I also love Skillet because they are a rock band, and they make one of my favorite songs, "Monster."

My favorite singer is Freya Skye because she writes music that I like and I can understand. We are also almost the same age—she is 16 years old—and she is in Zombies 4, which is one of my favorite shows.

T.H. P.: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Ashley: I will never give up, and I will keep trying. I love living life to the fullest, so if I want to do something, I have to go through it head-on because if I don't, that isn't living life to the fullest.

I am always trying to do stuff. I do marching band, concert band, jazz band, choir, musicals, all 8 of the Unified sports, track and field, and I am a basketball manager. This year, I might also be doing the dance team manager, and I do dance after school for a dance company. I also have a TikTok account called "The Life of Ashley Cox." I even made a song with my friends.

 To book your own session, please call Tommy or Holly at 785.793.2492 or 785.213.0812 or email tommy@thpetersonphoto.com